Alternate Debut
by jonsmom14
Summary: What if Anna and Ryan had hit it off? This is what I would have liked to see happen during "The Debut".
1. Prologue

**A/N: I wasn't sure if anyone would be interested in this sort of fic, so that's why this is so short. It's the prologue.**

_Ryan was busy glancing at Marissa while trying not to step on the toes of the girl who he'd been assigned to for the Debutante Ball. He was distracted when the girl, Anna Stern, suddenly spoke up._

"_Wait. Are you the kid from Chino who steals cars and sets peoples' houses on fire?" _

_Ryan dropped his arms from around the blonde and glanced away. _

"_So you're saying I'm making my debut into society with Newport's most wanted." Anna continued._

_Ryan looked back down at the small, pixie-like face. "Is that going to be a problem?" He asked with exasperation._

_Anna smirked. "I can't wait." _

_Ryan looked down at the girl with raised eyebrows before almost – almost smiling and then focusing back on his feet as they returned to their dancing._

They were taking a quick break while the director discussed the placement of couples with Marissa.

"Here, think fast." Anna warned before tossing a bottle of cold water at Ryan's chest. He was startled out of staring at the lead debutante and barely managed to avoid dropping the beverage.

Anna stood next to him and calmly took a sip out of her own bottle. She cocked her head to the side and appeared to be studying the source of her date's attention.

"You know, I can understand why you'd be so hung up on Marissa Cooper." Anna declared softly. "I mean she's tall, thin, perfect hair, perfect face, perfect body, and she carries herself like a runway model. What's not to lust after, right?"

Ryan tore his eyes away from the object of Anna's musings and glanced down at his partner. He remained silent, waiting for Anna to get to the point of her comment. When she didn't continue, Ryan sighed.

"And you're point is?" He led.

Anna shrugged. "I used to have a poster a few years ago. It was a full picture of Tom Cruise without a shirt. You know, back in his 'Top Gun' days?"

Ryan stared down at the blonde in confusion of where she was going with this.

"I used to daydream about talking to him and having him smile at me the way he did Nicole Kidman." Anna continued as she took another sip of her water. "Then one day he had this interview where he spoke out about his beliefs and I realized he was just a person – a really messed up person – but just a person. He wasn't this untouchable object to be worshipped and adored. That was when I met my boyfriend at the time and I found out that someone to talk to, that I could be myself around and still not feel like I had to live up to something I'm not was better than any perfect image. Of course then the dick cheated on me, but I learned a lesson I'll never forget. If someone seems too good to be true; they usually are."

Ryan closed his eyes and then glanced back up at Marissa just in time to see her smile at him. He swallowed heavily and couldn't help but think about what Anna had said.

"But then what do I know?" Anna shrugged as she set aside her water and turned to face him so they could practice again. "I'm just from Pittsburg – which apparently is 'eww'."

Ryan looked down into those dark brown eyes and smiled shyly. "So is Chino."

Anna gave him a quirky grin and a wink. "Well! Then I'm in good company!" She declared before placing her hands in the proper places on Ryan. "Ready to get close and personal?"

Ryan found himself lost in those mischievous eyes. "Best offer I've had in a while." He smiled and pulled her into his arms, suddenly more comfortable with his partner than before.

Anna's whimsical laugh twinkled through the ballroom like magic. "Oh you have no idea!"

It was another two hours before the teens were dismissed. Ryan stood in front of Anna and took a deep breath. Anna's chocolate eyes stared up at him curiously. She didn't say anything she just waited for him to get his thoughts together. It made the quiet spoken boy even more interested.

"I was wondering if you had plans after this." He began.

Anna smiled "Why no, actually, I don't."

Ryan glanced down at his shoes and then back up. "Would you like to get something to eat with me? I mean, Seth will be with us too since he'll need a ride, but I would like to spend some more time with you. You know, since we're supposed to be each other's date and everything." He rambled.

Anna looked up at him sternly. "I thought you were into Marissa." She stated.

Ryan shrugged. "I'm trying to make a new life here. I don't want any trouble, and like you said; Marissa's trouble. I'd rather spend time with someone who I'd like to know better. Besides, I don't feel short around you." He grinned teasingly.

Anna's light chuckle sent shivers up Ryan's spine. "I'll tell you what, lose the excuse that it's for the ball and I'll go out with you, even if there's a third wheel involved. Maybe next time it could be a two-wheeler." She replied flirtatiously.

Ryan grinned and nodded. "Deal." He agreed.

Ryan and Anna crossed the room together and met up with Seth, who was standing near the doors alone. Seth exited the room first, and then Ryan held the doors open for Anna. Anna's smile made him hope they had a lot more doors to go through.

"Ryan!" A voice called from behind them.

The three teens turned to see Marissa hurrying to catch up with them. Anna's eyebrows rose when the other girl ignored her and smiled prettily at Ryan. Ryan swallowed and glanced down at his date.

"So I was just going to tell you guys about the cookout at Holly's house." Marissa declared.

Holly came up behind Marissa and gave her a hug. "Yeah! It's at my house tonight. We do it every year."

"You didn't do it last year." Seth pointed out.

"Yeah we did." Holly corrected him.

Anna and Ryan glanced at Seth sympathetically while Seth made a pained expression. "Ouch." He muttered.

"Are you sure that's such a great idea?" Ryan asked, glancing at Luke.

Marissa turned to look behind her and saw her boyfriend staring back at them. "Yeah, I do." She declared, turning back to face Ryan. "I mean, you live here now and there's no reason why we shouldn't all hang out."

The three teens watched as Marissa twirled around and walked bouncily towards her boyfriend. Anna whistled low and breathy.

"Ok, so Tom never actually stalked me." She conceded before sighing heavily and looking up at Ryan. "I'll understand if you want to cancel." Anna said reluctantly.

Ryan shook his head and offered the blonde girl his arm. "Why would I cancel when it took me three hours to work up the courage to ask you out in the first place? Besides, Tom also never got you in a fight." He pointed out.

Anna grinned and winked as she slid her arm into the crook of her elbow. "There is that." She admitted.

Seth glanced back and forth between the new girl and his best friend. A smile spread across his face as he walked out of the building with the new couple. Maybe Ryan could stay out of trouble after all.

TBC??


	2. Chapter 1

"Are you kidding me

"Are you kidding me? The superhero movies have opened up a whole new audience to the graphic novel genre." Anna argued with Seth as Ryan watched in amusement.

"But they don't truly appreciate the intricacies of the novels." Seth retorted.

"Yeah, but the chances are better for more lovers of the art if they are introduced to graphic novels through the movies. Otherwise, they would never be interested in something new and never know what they could be missing." Anna replied passionately.

Ryan remained silent, but he was mesmerized by the twinkling in her eyes as she argued her point. He knew that she was talking about graphic novels and comic-based movies, but he couldn't help but think that her argument could also apply to him. Ryan would be the first to admit that he had slightly obsessed with Marissa since he had come to Newport. Now that he took a step back to remember everything objectively, Ryan realized that the fighting and trouble could mostly be traced back to Marissa. He couldn't really blame Luke for feeling threatened, and even if he hated the guy, he could still understand his point. The problem for both Luke and Ryan was that Marissa was not exactly keeping her distance.

Ryan glanced down next to him at the cute blonde he was eating with. He couldn't help but think that he'd be better off with someone like Anna – who didn't antagonize their boyfriend by flirting and following another guy. Because when he really thought about it, Ryan realized that even if things worked out between him and Marissa, what was to stop her from doing the same thing again with another guy? Satisfied that he was making a good decision, Ryan took another bite of his burger and turned his attention back to his new brother and possibly his new girlfriend.

Seth grinned from ear to ear. He really liked this girl! She was just as much a lover of the comics as him. He also had to admire his new brother's ability to attract the attention of the ladies. Seth almost wished he had met Anna first, but he wasn't about to poach. Besides, there was still Summer Roberts.

"I can't believe this! I'm really surprised that you are so into this stuff!" Seth exclaimed happily.

"Why are you so surprised?" Anna asked in confusion.

Seth shrugged and waved his hand towards her. "Well, you're a girl."

Ryan winced as his new friend made the worst faux pas a man could make. He saw Anna's eyes narrow and her posture stiffen suddenly. Hoping to avoid a blow-up, Ryan spoke up.

"Hey man, that was uncalled for. Comics aren't exactly gender specific." He pointed out. "If she likes them, I say more power to her."

Anna lost her enraged expression and smiled up at the blond. "Thank you Ryan." She said sweetly, "but they're called 'graphic novels'."

Ryan winced. "Sorry." He didn't think he would ever come to appreciate them like Seth and Anna, but he hadn't hated them either. He just preferred books without pictures. Besides, most of them were pretty dark and violent and he had enough of that to last a lifetime.

"So, are we going to the cookout tonight?" Anna asked right before popping a fry into her mouth.

"Absolutely." Seth declared.

Ryan winced. "I'm still not sure that's such a good idea Seth."

Anna glanced over at Ryan sympathetically. He had already told her about the run-ins with Luke and how the model home had burned down. Also, no one was being very good with hiding Seth's not-so-secret crush on Summer Roberts – most especially Seth. She knew that they would be at the cookout if Seth wanted to go. Ryan felt too indebted to the other boy to deny him anything.

Sighing, Anna narrowed her eyes at Seth. "I know that you want to go so that you can see Summer, but you have to understand that if Ryan gets in trouble he could be forced to leave and you would lose your brother forever. So before you do anything Seth I want you to think about whether or not it's worth losing your new brother."

Seth's mouth fell open at the rebuke and warning. He glanced over at Ryan, who was staring down at his plate and gulped. He was a bad brother. In his obsession with getting close to Summer, Seth could have put Ryan in jeopardy. No one was worth that – not even Summer Roberts.

"I'm sorry man. I wasn't even thinking about the fact that you could get into so much trouble." Seth apologized.

"It's ok Seth. If you really want to go, then we can go." Ryan shrugged.

Seth sat forward in his seat and stared urgently at the other boy. "No, it's not ok. You've been the best friend and brother I could ever ask for, and I haven't exactly been looking out for you."

Ryan's eyes widened. "Are you kidding? I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you! You're mom only lets me stay because of you! Otherwise I'd still be in Juvie or some group home or even on the street somewhere! Damn, if your mom hadn't gotten me out of Juvie when she did, that guy would have probably killed me! You saved my life man! I can never repay that!"

Anna and Seth stared in shock. First of all, neither one of them had heard Ryan string so many sentences together – ever. But then what the blond boy was saying registered and they both felt sick at what had been Ryan's reality before the Cohen's had rescued him.

Anna took Ryan's hand in her own and squeezed it tightly, reassuring herself that this amazing guy she was definitely developing feelings for, was safe and was going to remain that way.

Seth, on the other hand was mortified. He had known that Ryan was thankful for his family, but he had no idea just how horrible Ryan's options had been at the time. He also hadn't missed the way that Ryan felt he wouldn't be accepted by Seth's parents if it wasn't for Seth. He made a mental note to speak to his mother. He hoped that Ryan was wrong and his mom wasn't just tolerating his new brother for Seth's sake; but in the meantime…

"Ryan, man I hope you aren't my friend just because you feel a debt." Seth stated softly. He couldn't help but feel insecure.

Ryan shook his head vehemently. "No way! While I'm grateful for what you did, I really do like hanging out with you Seth. Yeah, you've got a few quirks, but who doesn't? You talk, I brood. It works for us. Man, I didn't say all that so that you would think I was using you! I just wanted you to understand just how good of a friend you _have_ been to me."

Ryan ran a hand over his hair and sighed. "You could have resented me coming into your home Seth. Most kids would have. But you didn't. You opened up your home to me Seth and gave me a place to belong. I will always be thankful to you for that – but I wouldn't be your best friend, and certainly not your brother because of it. You're a good guy Seth, much better than most of the kids around here. I have fun when I'm hanging out with you. That's why I want to be your friend and brother – not because I'm indebted or anything like that." He explained, hoping that Seth would understand.

Seth's eyes were filled with tears that he refused to release. It was rare that he allowed himself to think about why someone as cool as Ryan even bothered to hang out with him at all. He was scared of what the answer would be; but now it seemed that all his fears were for naught.

"Thanks man, I had sometimes wondered." Seth whispered softly.

"Don't." Ryan replied. "Just ask next time."

Seth nodded and took a deep breath. "Well I think that's quite enough drama for one day. Since we aren't going to the cookout, what do you guys want to do tonight – or did you want to be alone?"

Anna glanced up at Ryan and saw his pleading expression. With a smile she turned her attention back to the kind-hearted guy in front of her. "Why don't we go back to your place and I'll make sure that you actually have the proper reference material needed to truly argue your pathetic points concerning the graphic novel world?"

Seth's eyes lit up and he grinned. "You're on, but prepared to eat crow. I find it goes nicely with some chocolate sauce on top." He declared as he tossed down money for their meal and led the way out the door, still rambling about his expertise.

Ryan hugged Anna to him and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Thank you."

Anna shivered as his warm breath brushed against her skin. She promised herself that she would definitely find a way to be alone with him later. "He's a good guy Ryan, and he's your brother. As much as I would like some alone time to get to know you, I also realize that Seth is a big part of your life. I admire your friendship with him." Anna assured him.

"How about after Cotillion tomorrow night? Maybe we could go for a walk on the beach or have a cup of coffee?" Ryan suggested.

Anna's eyes sparkled as she smiled up at him. "You're on."

Sandy was just pulling into the driveway when he was followed by Kirsten's Land Rover. He knew that she had loaned it to the boys so that they could go to Cotillion rehearsal that morning. He himself was home early because he had just finished a case and didn't want to bother going back to the office.

The door to the SUV opened and Ryan stepped out. Sandy opened his mouth in greeting when Seth stepped out from the back seat. Surprised, the older man waited a moment, and sure enough, Ryan rounded the front and opened the door for a girl. Interestingly enough, Sandy would have thought to see Marissa step out. Instead it was a small, pixie-faced blonde. She smiled up at his foster son and Sandy watched a look of happiness engulf the normally brooding boy's face. This was an interesting development.

"Hey kids, how did practice go?" Sandy asked, announcing his presence.

"It was great!" Seth replied enthusiastically.

Ryan smiled and glanced down at the girl beside him. "Much better than I thought it would this morning." He declared softly. He glanced back up. "Sandy, this is Anna Stern."

Sandy grinned. "It's nice to meet you Anna."

"It's nice to meet you too." Anna smiled.

Ryan took Anna's hand into his own. "Anna is my date for Cotillion." He announced.

"That's great! You'll have to tell me all about it." Sandy invited as he opened the door and led the young people into the house.

Anna and Ryan smiled as Seth launched into a colorful description of the morning's events – mostly centered on his partnership with the coveted Summer Roberts. They all walked into the kitchen to see Kirsten standing at the refrigerator pulling out a bottle of water.

Sandy greeted her with a kiss on the cheek and in introduced his wife to Ryan's new girl. He pulled his tie loose and watched as Kirsten launched into her Newport persona and welcomed the girl to their home. He glanced over and was startled to see his son watching Kirsten with calculating eyes.

Sandy crossed the room and laid his hand on Seth's shoulder, startling him out of his observing. "I need to talk to you." He whispered in Seth's ear.

Seth looked at him questioningly and nodded before following his father out of the kitchen and into the study. He watched the older man close the door and come around to face him.

"You want to tell me what's going on?" Sandy began the discussion. "You were watching your mother awfully seriously."

Seth glanced down and said nothing for a long time. The fact that his son was hesitating to speak made Sandy even more nervous. Finally, when Sandy didn't think he could remain silent any longer, Seth spoke up.

"Why did Mom change her mind about Ryan?" Seth asked softly.

Sandy looked at his son in confusion. "What kind of question is that?"

Seth shrugged. "One that should have been easy to answer I would think."

"What is this all about Seth? Why are you asking about your Mom changing her mind about Ryan?" Sandy asked, knowing that this wasn't a random thought.

Seth hesitated again before sighing. "Ryan thinks that Mom only took him in because I begged her. He thinks she's just tolerating him for my sake." He confessed.

Sandy's eyes dimmed. "What do you think?"

Seth shrugged. "I don't know what to think. I was hoping that I could figure it out."

"Why don't you just ask her?" Sandy suggested.

"Because I don't know if she would tell me the truth or what she thinks I want to hear." Seth informed him morosely.

Sandy would have liked to protest that reasoning, but he had seen Kirsten smile and tell her son that everything was fine when he and she both knew that Caleb had done something to upset her. Sandy sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I didn't know that Ryan believed that." He admitted, avoiding the subject of his wife's honesty.

"We were invited to a cookout tonight at Holly's. I wanted to go since Summer would be there. Anna pointed out that if Luke got Ryan in trouble we could lose him. I apologized to him for not looking out for him. That's when he told me that I had saved his life by talking Mom into taking him in. He figured he would have been killed by that kid in Juvie." Seth recounted. "At first I was scared that he had only been my friend because he felt indebted to me. He told me right away that I was his best friend because he liked me as a person. We both know that Ryan is a crap liar, so I know he was being honest."

Sandy walked over to a chair and sat down despondently. "I don't know what to tell you Seth. I believed your mom when she told me she couldn't bear to leave Ryan in that place, but as for why she asked him to stay I can't tell you for sure even though I wish I could. I hate the thought that Ryan believes Kirsten's just tolerating him, but I don't know how to change it."

Seth sighed. "I know. That's why I was watching her, but she's too hard to read. Remind me not to play poker with her."

"I could have told you that." Sandy chuckled. He stood back up and wrapped an arm around his son's shoulder. "We'll keep an eye out and maybe she'll reveal the truth."

"I just hope Ryan's wrong." Seth admitted.

"Me too son, me too."

Ignorant of the conversation going on in the other room, Kirsten and Ryan were sitting in the kitchen silently after Anna excused herself to use the restroom. Kirsten glanced over at the young teenager and sighed. She hated that he was so uncomfortable with her. If Sandy or Seth were in the room, he would be cracking his shy smile at something they were saying. He would be relaxed and at ease instead of sitting stiffly in the chair at the counter and avoiding eye contact.

"So, Anna seems nice." Kirsten began.

"Yeah." Ryan replied softly.

"I'm sure you two will have a good time at Cotillion together." Kirsten continued determinedly.

Ryan nodded.

Kirsten played with her rings as she tried to figure out what to say next. She also wondered where Sandy and Seth had disappeared to.

Anna came back into the kitchen and Kirsten noticed the way Ryan's face lit up with joy and Kirsten was upset to also see relief. Kirsten smiled at the girl.

"I need to make a few phone calls. It was nice to meet you Anna. Have fun you two." She declared before making her escape. She never noticed Ryan's eyes following her longingly out of the room.


	3. Chapter 2

Ryan came out of the pool house dressed in the tux that he had received that afternoon

Ryan came out of the pool house dressed in the tux that he had received that afternoon. He was nervously adjusting the white gloves and being very careful not to touch anything so that he wouldn't get them dirty. Just as he was about to walk out of the pool house, he heard his new guardians arguing. He stopped for a moment, unsure what to do.

As a kid, he had always hidden when his parents or even Dawn and her latest boyfriend were fighting. Then, as he grew older, he tried to defend his mother when the arguing escalated to hitting. This usually resulted in bruises and sometimes broken bones. Dawn never did anything to stop it.

But this was Newport. Dawn wasn't arguing with her latest wasted or high boyfriend. This was Sandy and Kirsten Cohen arguing. Ryan was a pretty good judge of character when it came to the men in his life. He had learned to recognize the ones prone to violence. Sandy was the gentlest man he knew, Ryan couldn't even begin to fathom the older man hitting his wife or kid, but that didn't mean it couldn't happen.

Decision made, Ryan trotted across to the patio doors of the house and stood beside them watching the couple anxiously. Sandy was lounging back with a beer next to the pool while Kirsten stood over him elegant in her black designer dress. She was berating him for not wanting to go while Sandy was berating the Newport community about supporting Jimmy Cooper for some reason.

Seth walked up behind him and out the doors. Kirsten looked up and noticed her son immediately. She couldn't help but wonder how long Ryan had been standing there.

"You're not going either?" She demanded.

"I wanted to leave twenty minutes ago." Seth denied.

"Let's go." Kirsten declared.

"Dad why aren't you…" Seth began.

"Seth, now." Kirsten called out.

Seth and Ryan shared a glance and then shot one last look at Sandy, who cut his eyes towards the door in a silent order for them to follow his angry wife. Seth shrugged and walked back into the house and out the front door. Ryan hesitated a moment before lowering his head and following his new brother.

Sandy sighed and took another sip of his beer. He was beginning to wonder if he had made a mistake. Sure, he hated Jimmy Cooper and wanted no part of anything that even remotely brought glory to him, but this was Ryan's first big Newport event, and he couldn't stand the thought of leaving the kid to face the sharks of Newport alone. The worried expression on the kid's face was enough to tell him how uncomfortable Ryan was. With one last sip of his beer and a heavy sigh, Sandy stood up and headed to his bedroom to get ready and follow his family to Cotillion.

Ryan and Seth walked into the anteroom where the other participants for Cotillion were milling around. Several of the girls were still doing last minute touch-ups in the mirrors while the guys all shifted uncomfortably in their finery. The coordinator was flitting from person to person making sure that they passed inspection. Ryan glanced over to see Julie Cooper standing with Luke and Marissa, adjusting her daughter's already perfect hair and dress.

Summer Roberts approached them and while rolling her eyes and spitting diatribe about Seth's inadequacies, she dragged him to the other side of the room to go over the plan for the evening – basically don't talk to her and don't stand too close lest someone think that they were actually together. Ryan shook his head, wondering not for the first time what Seth saw in the spoiled shrew.

"Well if it's not Newport's most wanted. You clean up nice." A playful voice declared from behind him.

Ryan smiled genuinely and turned to see his date standing there. Whatever he had planned to say stuck in his throat as he gazed down at her. Anna was beautiful. She looked like a fairy princess that he had read about once when he was a kid and Theresa had forced him to read fairy tales.

Concern began to fill her eyes when he remained silent and staring. She glanced down at her dress to make sure that everything was in its proper place and she hadn't gotten anything on her white dress. When she didn't see anything obvious, she looked back up at the handsome boy in front of her.

"Ryan? What's wrong?" Anna asked softly.

"You're beautiful." Ryan whispered hoarsely.

Anna's eyes lit up with humor and she graced him with one of her magical laughs. "Thank you, I was beginning to think that something was wrong."

Ryan shook his head and swallowed. "No, you're perfect."

Anna gave him a sly look. "Have you been drinking? Doesn't matter," she continued when he started to deny it, "I like what you're saying too much to get on to you about it."

Ryan smiled and pulled himself together. Anna's personality had already set him more at ease. He offered his arm to her and bowed. "May I escort you to a chair while we wait for this thing to start?"

Anna's laugh echoed through the room like a soft breeze through the forest. She curtsied elegantly and took his arm. "Yes you may." She replied. As they walked across the room, she looked up at her date with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Do you think they'll ever realize that calling you guys escorts makes you sound like male gigolos?"

Ryan couldn't help but laugh as he pictured Luke picking up his pay off the dresser.

Marissa watched the two blondes move across the room together enviously. She was supposed to be the lead deb. This was her moment to shine, and all she could think about was how much she wanted Ryan Atwood to be her escort. Marissa had partnered him with the short little tom-boy sure that they would have nothing in common. Besides, how could he possibly choose someone that looked like Anna Stern over someone that looked like her?

At the cookout, she had stayed near the door all night waiting for Seth and Ryan to arrive. Marissa was sure that with the lure of Summer, Seth would convince Ryan to come. But she had been disappointed when neither boy ever showed up. Instead, she had spent the evening watching Luke and his water polo buddies get falling-down drunk. Despite his perfect looks, Luke wasn't exactly the most stimulating boyfriend in the world. That's why she was so intrigued with Ryan Atwood.

Marissa sighed as she watched Ryan and Anna sit down near where Summer had deposited Seth Cohen. The Newport princess tilted her head and narrowed her eyes as another idea to get close to Ryan occurred to her. Everyone knew that Seth Cohen had a major crush on Summer Roberts. Perhaps if she convinced Summer to give the Newport nerd a chance, they would spend more time at the Cohen's and Marissa could spend more time with Ryan. She was convinced that if she could get him alone, he would fall for her.

"Marissa, Honey, it's time." Julie Cooper declared, startling her daughter out of her scheming.

Marissa pasted a smile on her face and nodded before following the line of girls in their white dresses out of the room.

"_Anna Stern, daughter of Cameron and Patricia Stern_." The Cotillion coordinator called out to the ballroom.

Ryan approached the gorgeous blond and her father with false calm. He awkwardly bowed and then offered his arm to the girl that had consumed his thoughts since the day of Cotillion rehearsals. She smiled at him and curtsied elegantly before accepting his arm and allowing him to lead her down the steps.

Ryan glanced around the room once they were in place and smiled when he saw Sandy sitting at the table with Kirsten. His foster father wasn't wearing a tux like all the other men, but Ryan didn't care. He was just relieved to see his guardian had come. Sandy smiled and gave him a thumb's up sign before turning and watching Luke escort Marissa down the stairs. Once they were in place, the music began and Anna stepped into Ryan's arms. Suddenly Ryan ceased to be nervous and allowed himself to drown in her chocolate eyes. The young couple glided gracefully along the dance floor much more naturally than the other couples.

"I thought Seth said Ryan didn't know how to dance." Kirsten whispered to her husband.

Sandy shrugged. "That's what he told me." He assured her. A grin split his face and he chuckled. "I guess he learned."

Kirsten smiled and placed her hand on top of his. "He looks happy, don't you think?" She commented as she studied Ryan's bright eyes.

"I've never seen the Kid happier." Sandy agreed, returning the gesture. He glanced over at her lovingly. "Thank you for changing your mind."

"You were right about him. Besides, I've never seen Seth happier either." Kirsten replied absently.

Sandy turned his face and sighed. He was beginning to fear that Ryan was correct in his belief of Kirsten's feelings. It broke his heart to think that the compassionate woman he married had been lost in Newport. It wouldn't ever change his love for her, but he couldn't help but mourn the woman she once was.

Unaware of her husband's musings, Kirsten smiled happily as she watched her two sons dancing. She had worried that Seth would never find his place in the elitist Newport society. It was one of the reasons she had fought so hard against bringing Ryan into their home. If Seth, who had grown up here, couldn't fit in then Ryan wouldn't have a chance. It never occurred to her that having a friend like Ryan would relax Seth so much that he would be fitting in more now than he ever had before.

Kirsten's musings were interrupted by shouting going on near the object of her thoughts and his date. She gasped when Greg Fisher started backing Jimmy Cooper towards Ryan and Anna. Ryan's eyes widened with realization and he shoved Anna out of the way just as Greg slugged Jimmy. Marissa's father was thrown back by the vicious right hook. He slammed back into Ryan and then his momentum carried them into the table behind them. There was a loud crack and Ryan screamed.

Blinded by his rage, Greg threw himself on top of Jimmy and continued punching him. Sandy ran across the room and threw Greg off of his neighbor. Greg hit him, but Sandy was too focused on getting to Ryan to notice. He wasn't exactly gentle with Jimmy as he pulled the other man off his new son.

Finally Sandy was able to see Ryan. He almost wished he didn't. The kids' eyes were closed and he was panting in pain. Sandy winced when he saw the awkward angle of his arm, and the blood that was splattered on the floor. Sandy knelt down ignoring the broken glass cutting into his knees through his pants.

"Ryan, can you hear me?" Sandy asked softly, not even noticing the complete silence as everyone watched them.

Ryan barely opened his eyes. "My arm," he gasped, still not moving a muscle.

"I'm pretty sure it's broken Kid." Sandy informed him softly, finally studying the injury.

He reached for the injured appendage. Ryan's scream pierced the silence. Sandy quickly released him, but not before seeing the extent of the problem. It was almost a relief to see that Ryan had passed out. He turned to see Kirsten and Seth standing behind him.

"Call an ambulance!" he ordered.

Seth quickly pulled out his phone while Kirsten looked at him questioningly.

"Sandy?"

Sandy sighed. "The bone has broken through his skin." He announced.

"Oh God!" Kirsten gasped along with everyone else who had heard.

"Let me through!" A voice demanded from the back of the crowd.

Sandy glanced up to see Neil Roberts approaching with a leather backpack. The doctor kneeled next to him and began to cut away Ryan's jacket with scissors from his bag.

"Sandy carefully lift him so that I can get this off. His sleeve could cause an infection." Neil instructed.

Sandy nodded and followed the other man's instructions as they perform emergency first aid on his foster son. He was horrified by the actual sight of the white bone sticking out from the bloody skin. Neil wrapped a sterile bandage loosely around the wound to protect it from exposure to the air. They continued to find multiple cuts from the broken glass, and there was one large glass shard buried partially in his side that Neil told him the hospital would need to remove.

They were just finishing up everything that they could do when a commotion at the door caused them to look up. The paramedics had finally arrived. Neil launched into a rapid-fire explanation of Ryan's injuries that no one else in the room could really understand, but the paramedics were nodding and following his instructions to the letter. When they finally had Ryan loaded on the gurney, Neil looked up at Sandy.

"Sandy, if you want I can ride with them to the hospital." Neil said softly.

Sandy looked up at the other man. "I don't want him to wake up without me there." He informed the doctor.

"You could ride in the front so you could be with him." Neil compromised.

Sandy nodded and glanced over at Kirsten and Seth. "Meet me there." He told them before kissing her quickly and running out the door after the paramedics.

Sandy was about to step into the ambulance when a hand at his arm made him pause. Jimmy and Greg were standing there looking apologetically at him. Many of the other Newpsies were standing behind them.

"Sandy, I'm so sorry…" Jimmy began.

"We both are." Greg interrupted.

Sandy's eyes narrowed. "I brought him into my home to get him away from violent men that would hurt him." He stated coldly before climbing onto the ambulance and settling in the front seat. Sandy fastened his seatbelt and then turned so that he could see Ryan. He refused to look up as the back doors closed and with a blare of the siren they were gone.

Seth glanced over at his mother as she drove towards HOAG. Her knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel and she was breathing heavily as if she had been running. He couldn't blame her, he was shaking pretty badly too. Never one for blood, Seth had just barely kept from running to the bathroom when he had seen Ryan's arm. It was the pain that racked his face and the pleading look Ryan had given Sandy that caused Seth to stick it out. His brother was hurt and needed him. For once in his life, Seth was going to be there for someone.

He only hoped that his mom felt the same. Seth couldn't help but wish he had figured out how his mom felt about Ryan before this happened. As it was, he was nervous to let her around Ryan lest she upset him. Seth just hoped she wouldn't blame this on Ryan like she did the fight at Holly's party. She had refused to believe that Ryan wasn't the one to start that fight.

Kirsten fought to maintain control as she sped to the hospital. She didn't know when it had happened, but Ryan had become very important to her. Kirsten didn't even want to think about going back to life before he came to live with them. Ryan had really brought their family together in a very short time with his quiet ways and shy smiles. He worked so hard to make everyone happy. Kirsten couldn't believe that she had thought Ryan was dangerous when Sandy first brought him home. He was a great kid who just needed someone to love him. Well that someone would be her. Dawn had told her that Kirsten was a real mom, that she held her family together. Ryan's mother told her that even he believed that Kirsten would make everything okay.

Kirsten clenched her jaw and tightened her hands on the steering wheel. She didn't know if Dawn was right or not, but she was determined to give it her best shot. No more sitting back and avoiding making Ryan uncomfortable. Kirsten was Ryan's mother now and she was going to act like it! But first, she needed to get to him.

"Mom, are you okay?" Seth asked softly.

Kirsten glanced over at her son and took a deep breath. "No Seth, I'm not. I have a kid with his bone sticking out of his arm because two grown men had to wrestle around like children. I can't be with him right now because there wasn't any more room in the ambulance and Neil needed to be there to help. All I can concentrate on right now is getting to Ryan. I'm his mother now and he's going to need me."

Seth stared at Kirsten in awe. Noticing the look on her son's face, the woman shot him a questioning glance.

"What?" Kirsten asked.

"You really care about him?" Seth asked softly, almost as if he were afraid of the answer.

Kirsten stopped at a red light and looked at her son in shock. "Of course I care about him! I asked him to come and live with us! What kind of question was that?"

Seth swallowed hard as his mother pulled away at the green light. "You didn't just take Ryan in because I begged you to?"

Kirsten rolled her eyes and the cut them at Seth. "How many years have you begged to leave Newport? I don't just give you whatever you ask for. Where is this coming from?"

Seth slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. "I am so stupid!" He ranted.

Concerned, Kirsten glanced across the car. "Seth, now you're worrying me. What is going on in that head of yours? Surely you didn't think that I added another son to my life just because you wanted a playmate?" She demanded in exasperation.

"No Mom, but Ryan thinks that." Seth declared.

"WHAT?!" Kirsten shouted as she jerked the car to the side of the road and slammed on the breaks.

When the car was stopped, she turned in her seat to see her son holding on to the door handle and panting at the sudden stop. Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Seth Ezekiel Cohen you better tell me what the hell you're talking about right now!" Kirsten stated coldly.

Seth gulped and glanced away from his furious mother. "Ryan told me that if it weren't for me asking you to take him in, he was pretty sure that guy at juvie would have killed him. He said you just tolerated him for my sake." Her dark-haired son confessed.

"Oh my God." Kirsten whispered as she covered her mouth with her shaking hands. Tears filled her eyes and overflowed down her cheeks. "Please tell me you told him different. Please say he doesn't still believe that." She begged.

Seth looked down at his hands. "I honestly didn't know. You hate the Newpsies and yet you have them over to our house all the time and no one would be able to guess how you really felt. I kept watching you around him trying to figure out if you liked Ryan for himself or not, but I honestly couldn't tell. Even Dad wasn't sure. You're always so uncomfortable when Ryan's in the room" He said softly.

Kirsten stared at her son in horror before leaning her forehead on the steering wheel and sobbing. It had never occurred to her that Ryan would see her actions as rejecting him! He was supposed to be her son now and he felt like and intruder in her home. Ryan thought she was tolerating him! Well that thinking ended tonight!

Determined, Kirsten sniffed and raised her head off the steering wheel. She wiped angrily at her eyes and glanced over at her miserable son.

"I didn't want to make Ryan uncomfortable by hugging him all the time." She explained. "I didn't want to be too pushy and make him resent me for taking the place of his mother. That's why I've been uncomfortable. But it ends today. Ryan is my son now, and I'm going to make sure that he never doubts that again!"

Seth once again stared at his mother in awe as they sped through the streets of Newport. "Wow! Uh, yeah you do that." Seth stammered. The Kirsten was out in full force and she was headed straight for Ryan – Jesus and Moses help him.

TBC….

**A/N: I know I hurt Ryan again! I just can't help myself. I promise there's a real reason for this besides the sick pleasure I get from hurt/comfort scenes! Hope you're still enjoying this!**


	4. Chapter 3

Sandy was sitting with his head in his hands on the plastic chair that Neil had directed him to when they had reached the ER. He couldn't get over how pale Ryan was right before the teen was wheeled away. He had heard Neil call out something about shock before they were gone.

Kirsten and Seth burst through the doors and looked around frantically. They both zeroed in on Sandy at the same time and hurried over.

"How is he?" Kirsten asked breathlessly.

Sandy looked up to see his wife's anxious face. She looked like she had been crying. He stood and pulled her into his arms before answering her. "Ryan was still unconscious when we got here. I heard Neil say he was going into shock when they took him back. That's all I know."

Kirsten's heart broke at the defeat in her husband's voice. Sandy was so used to taking care of everyone, and it hit him extra hard when he couldn't. Taking a deep breath, Kirsten pushed away a bit and looked up into his face. "Ryan is going to be fine. The doctors are some of the best in the country, and if Neil wants to get a good price for his house someday, he will not allow anything to happen to our son."

"Then I suppose it's a good thing that we have him stabilized." A voice chuckled from behind Kirsten.

The blonde woman turned around and sighed in relief at the calm expression on the doctor's face. He was standing next to a dark-haired woman in scrubs and a lab coat.

"Sandy, Kirsten, this is Dr. Young. She is the attending for the ER tonight and she was the one to treat Ryan when he came in." Neil introduced.

"I'm sure that you're anxious to hear about your son so I'll get right to it. Ryan has a compound fracture to his radius. This will require immediate surgery. The x-rays show old fractures to the bone that have weakened it. We will need to pin the bone back into place to ensure proper healing. Along with some cuts and bruises, there is a large piece of glass lodged in the tissue of his side. To minimize blood loss, we will also remove this during surgery. The glass is only affecting the tissue. Fortunately, it's not deep enough to have damaged any organs. Ryan is already being prepped in the OR. A nurse will be by with consent forms for you to sign. Do you have any questions for me?"

"How long will his recovery be and what are the chances for infection?" Kirsten asked calmly.

"Recovery will depend upon infection. With compound fractures, the bone is exposed to bacteria from the air. It is rare for some sort of infection not to occur. Ryan will be placed on IV antibiotics immediately following the surgery. We will do our best to minimize the chances for infection. The fact that Dr. Roberts was there to treat the injury immediately will be a huge point in Ryan's favor. If all goes well, Ryan will wear a cast for six to eight weeks before he begins physical therapy to regain strength and mobility in the arm. I look for him to have a full recovery." Dr. Young explained.

"And if there is infection?" Sandy asked fearfully.

Dr. Young sighed. "Then we will have to deal with it as it comes. There are too many variables to be able to predict Ryan's reaction to an infection – including the type of infection itself. Right now I'm optimistic of his chances. Ryan is young and strong – I believe he will overcome this."

"Thank you Doctor." Kirsten nodded.

"Sandy, Kirsten, I'm going to observe the surgery." Neil informed them. "Dr. Vine will be performing the operation."

"We would feel so much better knowing that you were there with him." Kirsten declared gratefully.

"He seems like a good kid. I admire how you've given him a home. I would want someone I knew there if it were Summer." Neil explained. "I'll see you as soon as it's over."

Sandy wrapped his arms around his wife's and son's shoulders as they stood in the waiting room.

Neil watched from the side as his colleague began the operation to put this sixteen-year-old kid's arm back together. He remembered all of the negative talk he had heard around town since the Cohen's had taken in Sandy's client. Everything from his criminal record to Ryan's sketchy background was fodder for the gossips of the community. His wife had even tried to talk him into withdrawing Summer from Cotillion when she heard that Seth Cohen would be her escort for fear of Summer interacting with Ryan.

But as Neil stood there, he couldn't help but see the vulnerable kid with a tube down his throat. He hadn't missed Sandy's comment to Jimmy and Greg about getting Ryan away from violent men. Neil had seen the x-rays that told a grim tale of abuse and violence on Ryan's body. Neil wondered if this kid had ever known anything but pain and violence. It had not escaped his attention that some of the old scars on Ryan's body had never been properly treated. This boy had been through the wars.

Neil had been honest when he complimented the Cohen's for making Ryan a part of their family. He also knew that tonight still wouldn't change the opinions of many concerning the newest member. Standing there in that operating room as the other surgeons labored to repair Ryan's arm, Neil made a vow to do what he could to help prove to this teenage boy that not all adults hurt.

The Cohen's were still sitting in the waiting room when the door swished open and they looked up to see Anna and her parents come in. They were all still dressed in their formal attire, and Anna's eyes were wide with fear. She rushed over to Seth and hugged him when he stood to meet her.

"How is he?" She demanded anxiously.

"They took him into surgery. They have to pin his arm back together and they're taking out a chunk of glass from his side. Dr. Roberts went in to watch over him." Seth replied solemnly.

"I can't believe this! He's supposed to be safe now!" Anna growled. "I hope they arrest Mr. Cooper and Mr. Fischer! I saw how their wives acted like Ryan was nothing but scum, and then they do this? I can tell you who the thugs in that room were tonight, and it wasn't Ryan!"

Seth couldn't help but smile at the petite spitfire. Yes, she was a very good girlfriend for Ryan. He hoped that everything worked out for them.

"Sandy if there's anything that you or Kirsten need please let us know. Ryan saved Anna tonight. She would have been right in the line of fire if he hadn't pushed her out of the way." Cameron Stern assured them.

"Thank you Cameron. We've enjoyed getting to know Anna. She's been spending time with the boys for the last few days. I hope that you'll continue to let them all be friends." Sandy stated, shaking the other man's hand.

"More than friends if I have anything to say about it." Anna declared softly, but everyone heard her.

Patricia chuckled. "That's my girl! I would almost feel sorry for Ryan. Anna can be very determined."

Kirsten laughed for the first time that evening. "From what I saw when they were at the house, he won't be putting up much of a fight."

Anna blushed as the adults teased her, but she was pleased that Kirsten thought that Ryan had feelings for her. The more she got to know Ryan the more she liked him.

"So, how long until I can start nursing him back to health?" Anna asked pointedly.

Sandy sighed and his smile went away. "He's in surgery now. Then as long as the arm doesn't get infected, he'll be in a cast for six to eight weeks. The doctor didn't want to speculate if an infection occurred. I know that he'll want to see you though."

"Yeah, I'm sure he'll want to know if you were alright." Seth agreed. "He's always worrying about everyone else first."

"You're welcome to stay and wait, but if you'd rather go home and come back another time I'm sure that's fine too." Kirsten invited.

Anna stared up at her parents. "I don't want to leave until I know that Ryan's going to be okay." She informed them.

Cameron and Patricia shared a look and then they nodded in agreement. "We'll stay for a while." Patricia agreed.

"Just so you know the police will probably want a statement. They were interviewing everyone there tonight." Cameron told Sandy as they sat down.

Sandy nodded. "I figured. They can come to me though, because I'm not leaving Ryan."

"I don't blame you." Cameron replied.

Kirsten was grateful for Patricia Stern. The other woman was a calming influence and a welcomed distraction from Kirsten's normally pessimistic thoughts.

Anna and Seth sat quietly staring at the doors they envisioned as the obstacle keeping them from seeing Ryan.

Neil sighed as Dr. Vine closed up and backed away from his patient, dictating his instructions to the nurses. Together, the two men walked out of the operating theatre and into the small room to the side to rid themselves of their masks and hair covers.

"What did you think?" Neil asked.

Jim Vine sighed. "That kid's arm was a mess. You saw the bone fragments. I just hope that we got them all. He's going to be lucky if he can recover full mobility again. How did this happen?"

"Two men were fighting at the Cotillion tonight. They fell into Ryan and they all landed on a table and broke it. Ryan ended up on the bottom." Neil explained.

Jim shook his head. "Makes me glad I don't have kids. I probably would have hit one of them myself if I'd been there."

"Let me assure you, they definitely messed with the wrong kid. Ryan's the adopted son of Sandy Cohen, who's a public defender and Newport Group's Kirsten Nichol Cohen. I would pay special attention to the 'Nichol' part of that name." Neil informed him grimly.

Jim's eyes lit up. "As in 'Caleb Nichol'? As if it weren't bad enough that his dad's a lawyer."

"The one and the same. The Cohen's are the nicest people you'll ever meet, but they will protect their own." Neil continued.

"Well let's go tell them about their new son." Jim declared as they arrived at the doors to the waiting room.

The Cohen's were quick to get to their feet when the two doctors came into the room.

"How is he?" Sandy asked.

Jim sighed. "We got his arm back together, but there were several bone fragments where part of the radius chipped off. I'm optimistic that we recovered all of them, but we'll be keeping a close eye on him to make sure I didn't miss anything. The glass in his side had struck a large vein and there was a lot of bleeding. Between that and what he lost with the arm, I'm giving him a couple of transfusions to get his blood count back up. If either of you happen to be O negative, it would help if you could donate."

"Dad and I are both O negative." Seth declared.

The surgeon smiled. "Dr. Roberts said that my patient was adopted. O negative isn't that common, looks like this was meant to be all along."

"Hear that? The stork just brought Ryan to the wrong doorstep!" Seth exclaimed to his parents.

Relieved that everything was going so well for Ryan, Sandy chuckled. "Now Seth, despite what you might like to tell yourself, you know that's not how babies are made."

Seth's face screwed up like he had smelled something nasty. "Ew Dad! Ruin my mental image why don't you?"

Kirsten smiled at the antics of her husband and son before turning to face Dr. Vines again. "When can we see him?" She asked seriously.

"The nurses are moving him into a private room off the surgical floor right now. Give them about fifteen minutes, and I'm sure that someone will be down to show you the way. I'll be by to check on Ryan again in an hour or so. I put Ryan in a private room so that one of you could stay with him overnight. Let one of the nurses know if you have anymore questions." Dr. Vine informed her.

"Thank you Doctor." Kirsten smiled.

Sandy pulled his wife into his arms. "He's going to be okay." Sandy said softly.

"Thank God." Kirsten declared. Now she could start repairing their relationship.

"We're so glad that Ryan's going to be alright." Patricia Stern began. "I think it would be best if we headed home and let you visit with him tonight. Perhaps we could come back tomorrow?"

"Mom, can't I just see him for a minute before we leave? I won't bother him or anything. I just want to see for myself that he's okay." Anna pleaded.

Patricia glanced at Kirsten, who smiled and nodded. "You can see him for a minute and then you leave – no arguments."

"Promise," Anna vowed.

When the nurse came out to lead them to Ryan's new room, Anna followed behind the rest of the Cohen's. She couldn't help but wonder what the hospital staff thought about all these people in their formal wear following a nurse through the maze of hallways. Finally, they came to a stop outside of a large wooden door with the numbers 456 beside it. The name "Atwood, Ryan" was written on a wipe board next to the door as well.

"I'm going to warn you, we have him connected to a few tubes and monitors. So don't be alarmed. Ryan's also very pale because of the blood loss, but hopefully the transfusion will take care of that. Dr. Vine informed me that two of you are a match for Ryan's blood type. We'd like to set up a time tonight if that would be possible so that Ryan won't need any more blood from the bank."

"That's fine." Sandy agreed, anxious to see his son.

"Visiting hours will end soon, so all but one of you will need to leave by then. There's a pull-out couch in the room for whoever is staying. Please let us know if there are any problems." The nurse instructed. "My name is Sarah."

"Thank you Sarah." Kirsten smiled before leading the way into the room.

The lights were dimmed and the only sounds in the room were the beeping of the pulse/ox machine and the _swoosh_ of oxygen traveling through Ryan's nasal cannula.

Knowing that their time was short, Seth and Anna approached the bed first. Ryan's left arm was wrapped and elevated. He was dressed loosely in a hospital gown, and he seemed paler than they thought he would be. If not for the constant beeping, Ryan would have seemed dead rather than asleep.

Seth placed his hand on Ryan's leg and smiled insincerely. "Hey man. You scared the crap out of me tonight. I'm glad that you're going to be ok. Just as soon as I can, I'll bring some stuff from home to liven this place up a bit. I can't stay long I've got to go donate some blood to the cause of getting you back home where you belong." He moved up to Ryan's head and leaned in close to his ear. "I talked to Mom. You had it all wrong man. She really cares about you a lot. Things are going to be different – better." He stood back up straight and smiled sadly. "You get better soon Ryan, we've got adventures yet to have."

Anna smiled at Seth and touched his arm as he backed away from his brother to give her access. She took a deep breath and smiled down at the handsome boy lying so still in the bed. "My hero." She said softly with a gentle smile. She took his hand tenderly in her own. "Thank you for taking such good care of me Ryan. I just wish that you hadn't been hurt in the process."

Anna felt the hand in her own move a bit. "Ryan?" She asked, leaning forward anxiously to see his blue eyes beginning to open.

Ryan looked up in confusion to see a fairy princess standing over him all in white. "Fairy?" he muttered before closing his eyes again and falling back asleep.

Anna chuckled and smoothed his hair back. "That's new." She murmured before leaning forward and tenderly kissing his cheek. "Feel better."

Anna stood up and walked back to the Cohen's. "Thank you for letting me see him." She said softly. "I'll come visit him again tomorrow if that's okay."

"That's fine Anna. I know that Ryan will be happy to see you." Sandy smiled.

Anna nodded and let herself out of the room.

Seth stepped back and let his dad approach the bed next. Sandy ran a hand over his foster son's head. "Hey Kid, I just wanted to see you for a few minutes before I have to go donate some blood to the cause. I'm so proud of how you made sure that Anna stayed safe tonight. You looked great out there tonight Kid. You just rest and get to feeling better. We'll take care of everything else." Sandy assured him. He kissed Ryan's forehead and stepped back from the bed.

Sandy turned and looked at his wife. "I'll be back and then I'll stay the night with him. Do you think you can handle sitting with him until then?"

Kirsten narrowed her eyes at her husband. "Sandy I am staying with him tonight. After you give blood, you and Seth can go on home."

"Kirsten, you don't have to feel obligated…"

"Seth, stay with your brother, your father and I need to have a little talk." Kirsten growled as she grabbed Sandy's arm and literally drug him out of the room.

Seth watched the door close behind them with wide eyes. "Dude, you _so_ got it wrong with Mom. She is definitely more than tolerating you!" He murmured to his sleeping brother.

Kirsten dragged her husband through the hallway and into a small waiting room. She swung around to face him, and took a bit of satisfaction in the fear on his face. Then she remembered why he should fear her and narrowed her eyes.

"I had a very enlightening talk with our son on the way here this evening. It seems that everyone thought I was only tolerating Ryan for Seth's sake. He even informed me that neither he nor you could tell if I was sincere in wanting Ryan to be my son! I have a son lying in a hospital bed convinced that he is only accepted because Seth asked for him like a damn Christmas present!" Kirsten's voice built with fury as she continued her rant.

"Kirsten, Honey, you haven't exactly been very welcoming with Ryan since he got here…" Sandy tried to defend himself.

"Let me clue you in on a few facts _Counselor_." Kirsten growled. "First of all I would never bring a boy into our home just because Seth wants a playmate! He's not a puppy! I stood out on our patio and I watched as a kid was blatantly abandoned by his mother with nothing more than a wave! He was hurting so badly and I didn't want to make him even more miserable by trying too hard to be his mother. It was so difficult to walk by him and not give him a hug or want to go check on him in the evening. I hate that he's out in the pool house, but I didn't want to rock the boat by pushing for him to take over the guest room! I want nothing more in this world than to be able to be a mother to both of my sons, but I didn't want to overwhelm Ryan!"

Kirsten sighed and sat in a vacant chair. "Then tonight I find out that Ryan believes that I don't even want him here." She whispered brokenly. Kirsten looked back up at her shocked husband. "I would have never asked him to stay if I didn't want to be his mother and give him a true home. The day that Dawn got into that cab, Ryan became my son."

Sandy knelt down in front of his wife and took her hands into his own. "Kirsten I am so sorry. I had no idea that you were wrestling so much with this. I think it would be great to move Ryan into the house. I also think that you and Ryan need to sit down and have a long talk about all of this."

Kirsten nodded. "Do you see why I need to be the one to stay with him tonight? He needs to know that I can be there for him too."

Sandy sighed. "I know why you want to stay with him Honey, but I'm not sure how comfortable Ryan is going to be with that. He still thinks that he's a nuisance to you. I'm all for you guys working it out, but I think that with Ryan so hurt, he might feel more comfortable with me."

When he saw how disappointed she was, Sandy backpedaled. "I'll tell you what. Why don't we ask Ryan what he thinks?"

Kirsten sniffled. "He's not going to feel comfortable with me Sandy." She took a deep breath and stood up. "It's fine. I'll just have to work hard to fix this when he's home." She muttered.

Sandy hugged her tightly. "Everything is going to be fine Honey. I promise."

Kirsten nodded into his chest and sniffled again. "I know. I just hate that I can't truly help him right now."

"Well we don't know that for sure, let's go see if he's awake again and ask Ryan what he thinks." Sandy placated. He knew the chance that Ryan would want Kirsten to stay was non-existent, but he would do anything to make his wife happy.

Seth was pacing the hallway outside his brother's door and anxiously keeping an eye out for his parents when he saw them coming towards him.

"Dad! Mom! There are some cops in Ryan's room. I told them that he was resting after surgery, but they pushed their way in and shoved me out the door!" Seth complained anxiously.

Sandy's eyes filled with rage, but before he could make a move, Kirsten was already bursting through the door.

"Get the hell away from my son!" Kirsten shouted as she stormed into the room.

She was horrified to see two police officers standing over her injured son. Ryan's eyes were wide with fear, and he was shaking his head at something one of the officers was saying when Kirsten interrupted them.

"Ma'am we are conducting a police investigation. I'm going to have to ask you to leave." The condescending tone of the other cop set Kirsten's teeth on edge.

"Not without a guardian present you aren't." Sandy growled. "I would love to speak to you supervisor concerning questioning a minor from his hospital bed without permission of the minor's parents. In fact I think that's a conversation I wouldn't want to put off."

"Sir, I don't know who you think you are, but this kid has been accused of inciting a riot at a prestigious function." The first officer sneered.

"What?!" Kirsten growled. She turned her attention to Sandy. "Find out who is spouting lies and nail their hide to the wall." She instructed. Then after staring disdainfully at the two officers, she turned back to her husband. "And make sure these two are working at the mall by next week."

Before the cops could protest, Sandy took a step forward. "Allow me to introduce myself, Sandy Cohen Public Defender."

"Look pal, you have no idea the power some of these people can wield. This kid messed with the wrong crowd." One of the cops declared.

"Then let _me_ introduce _myself_. My name is Kirsten _Nichol_ Cohen. My father is _Caleb Nichol_, owner of the Newport group. Now get the hell out of my son's room!" Kirsten demanded furiously.

The two officer's eyes widened as they recognized the name. They glanced at each other and quickly began apologizing profusely as they made their way out of the room.

"We'll be in touch." Sandy called out behind them.

Kirsten was already at Ryan's side, gently combing his hair away from his face. "I'm so sorry that they got in here Honey."

Ryan looked up at Kirsten in shock. Was this the same woman that he had been living with? Before he could say anything, Seth came bursting back into the room.

"Dude are the Nazis gone?" He demanded.

"Yeah." Ryan whispered hoarsely. He glanced up at the blonde woman who was still soothingly running her fingers over his hair. "Kirsten got rid of them." He stared at his new mother in awe.

Seeing the look on his new son's face, Sandy grinned. "Hey Kid, I need to make some calls and make sure that those 'Nazis' as Seth called them don't show their faces around here again. Do you mind if Kirsten stays with you tonight?"

Normally, Ryan would have begged for anyone but Kirsten to stay with him when he was already feeling so vulnerable, but today something was different. With the drugs in his system, it took him a minute to figure out what it was.

Then it was crystal clear. Kirsten had called him her son! Ryan jerked in the bed when he remembered those precious words. She hadn't been putting on airs for the Newpsies, or even thinking about what she was doing. Kirsten had just declared that he was her son and then proceeded to protect him from the bullying cops.

Ryan's eyes stared up into Kirsten's face with something akin to awe. "I don't mind." He whispered softly.

Kirsten's delighted smile lit up the room and convinced Ryan that he had said the right thing. Then she looked at him in concern. "Honey, do you need something to drink?"

"Please," Ryan replied.

Sandy smiled at the budding relationship as he grasped Seth's shoulder and began to move him towards the door. He stepped towards Kirsten and kissed her goodbye before leaning over and patting Ryan's leg.

"See ya in the morning Kid." Sandy winked before steering Seth out of the room and leaving his wife and blond son alone for the night.

Kirsten smiled down at Ryan and held a straw as he took a drink. Once he had his fill, she placed the cup on the side table and straightened his blankets before sitting down in the chair and taking her son's uninjured hand in her own.

"Ryan, I think we need to have a talk." Kirsten began.

TBC…


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Ryan fought the urge to gulp and stared down at the blanket while cutting his eyes periodically at the blonde next to him. To Kirsten he looked like a skittish stray that was waiting to be beaten for some imagined offense. With a heavy sigh, Kirsten began the conversation that would hopefully lead to a proper mother/son relationship.

"Ryan, I'm going to make this short because I know that you don't feel very well and you're still drugged from the surgery, but I didn't want another day to pass with you believing that I don't really want you here." Kirsten stated calmly. When Ryan looked away, she didn't let it deter her.

"It's fine." Ryan whispered.

Kirsten shook her head. "No, it's not and when you're better and home we'll have a very long talk about all this; but for now you need to understand that I did not take you in because of Seth. As much as I love my son, I would not take in another child for his sake. Ryan, will you look at me?"

When those blue eyes rose to meet her own; Kirsten could see all the fears and pain as well as the hint of hope lingering in those depths. She squeezed the teen's hand and took a deep breath. "Ryan, I took you in because I wanted to be your mother. In a very short time you showed me that you were a great kid who had very few people that you could count on. I wanted to be one of those people. I know that I seemed stand-offish, but I didn't want to overwhelm you by hugging you every time the urge caught me. I see now that you misunderstood and thought that I didn't want you here at all. That was my mistake and I'm sorry. Do you think that you could give us another chance?"

Ryan stared into this woman's eyes who claimed she wanted to be his mother. He could tell that she was sincere. Was he ready to let himself be her son? Ryan bit his bottom lip for a moment and then took a deep breath and nodded. "I'd like that.

The smile that lit up Kirsten's face was enough to light the whole room. She half stood from her chair and kissed Ryan's forehead before sitting back down. "Thank you. If you ever feel uncomfortable you need to tell me, okay?"

"Okay." Ryan replied softly. Even though the conversation was short, he was fighting to keep his eyes open.

Seeing his exhaustion, Kirsten ran her fingers lightly along his uninjured arm. "Go to sleep Honey. I'll be right here."

Ryan needed no more encouragement and moments later he was deep asleep.

It was the middle of the night when Kirsten spotted the first drops of sweat on Ryan's forehead. She had been sitting in the chair next to his bed dozing off and on. Concerned, she leaned forward to make sure she wasn't mistaken just in time to see a single drop streak down his temple. With some alarm, Kirsten pressed the call button for the nurse's station.

"Yes?"

"This is Mrs. Cohen. I think that my son may have a fever." Kirsten informed the disembodied voice.

"I'll be right there."

Kirsten looked up when not even a minute later the door opened to admit Ryan's nurse for the evening. Sarah came over to the bed holding a digital thermometer and took a quick reading from his ear.

"Damn." Sarah breathed before looking up at the worried mother. "He's spiked a fever. I'm going to call Dr. Vine and see what he wants to do."

Kirsten nodded as Sarah left the room and slipped her hand into Ryan's.

It was only 4:00 am when Sandy was awakened by the phone ringing. "Hello?" His voice was rough from sleep.

"Sandy, Ryan has an infection."

Sandy was suddenly wide awake and his heart was pounding in his chest. "What?"

"He started running a fever a little while ago. The doctor said it's over 104 degrees. They are taking him back for x-rays to see if they missed a bone fragment during his surgery." Kirsten informed him anxiously.

"I'll be right there." Sandy exclaimed, ending the call and virtually leaping out of the bed.

Sandy was in too much of a hurry to even attempt at being quiet, so it wasn't surprising when Seth showed up at his door just as the man was pulling on his shoes.

"Dad? What's going on?" Seth asked through a yawn.

"Ryan has an infection." Sandy declared as he pulled on his last shoe.

Seth's eyes widened in fear. "I'm coming with you."

"I can't wait for you to get ready." Sandy declined.

"I'll meet you at the car!" Seth called behind him as he rushed up to his room.

Sandy sighed and stood up from the bed so that he could grab his keys and wallet from the dresser before running a hand through his disheveled hair and walking out of the room. Just as he promised, Seth ran out of the house just as Sandy was starting the car. The teenager jerked the door open and plopped into the passenger seat. His seatbelt was hooked in by the time Sandy was pulling out of the driveway.

"How bad is it?" Seth asked while his father drove as quickly as possible to the hospital.

"His fever is 104 and they were about to take him for x-rays to see if they missed a bone fragment." Sandy rattled off the information that Kirsten had given him.

"Damn." Seth muttered.

Sandy didn't bother correcting his son's language. He couldn't help but agree as he drove through the darkened streets of Newport.

Kirsten looked up as the door opened to allow Sandy and Seth access to the hospital room. She stood up and met her husband half way in a desperate hug. She had needed him here.

"Have you heard anything yet?" Sandy asked softly.

"No." Kirsten informed him with a shake of her head. "He's still in x-rays."

"What's going to happen if they find a bone fragment?" Seth asked.

"I'm not sure, but my guess would be they would have to go back in and get it." Sandy answered.

Just then, the door opened wide and Ryan was wheeled into the room. He had ice packs stationed all around his body. His face was bright red and sweat was pouring down his face. Sandy and Seth looked on wide-eyed as the nurses settled Ryan back into his place.

"Dr. Vine will be in to speak to you in a moment." One of the nurses informed them.

"Thank you." Kirsten replied with a weak smile.

"What's with the Eskimo look?" Seth asked, taking in the ice packs.

"They're trying to get his fever down." Kirsten explained as she reclaimed her position next to Ryan and took his hand. "He has them all over, even under the sheet."

"Yikes!" Seth exclaimed, cringing.

Dr. Vine came into the room several minutes later. His face was locked in a stern expression. "We've reviewed the x-rays and found a small chip of Ryan's bone that was missed in the initial surgery. We believe that is what's causing the infection. In a little while a couple of nurses will be in to prep Ryan for surgery. I'll go in and get the bone as well as clean out any infection that I find. It should be a relatively quick procedure."

"Will this stop the infection?" Sandy asked.

Dr. Vine sighed. "That is my hope, but you need to understand, even without the fragment Ryan's chances for infection are very high just because his bone was exposed to the open air. We're also going to start Ryan on a new round of antibiotics. Hopefully both the surgery and antibiotics will knock out this infection and Ryan can be on his way to recovery."

"Thank you doctor," Kirsten said softly.

Dr. Vine nodded and left the family alone.

Kirsten ran her fingers through Ryan's hair. "Did you hear that sweetheart? You're going to be fine."

Ryan barely opened his glassy feverish eyes. He couldn't seem to concentrate on anything, but Kirsten's fingers in his hair was very soothing. He couldn't remember his mother ever comforting him like this. He felt as if he were trapped in a furnace and the heat just kept going up. He wasn't completely aware of what was going on and he was scared. He focused on the gentle caress of Kirsten running her hand over his sweat-soaked hair and tried to ignore everything else.

Kirsten smiled as Ryan sighed and seemed to relax a bit. "That's it Honey, just rest and you'll be better soon."

Sandy and Seth stood on Ryan's other side and listened as Kirsten comforted the newest addition to the family.

The next few moments were filled with an efficient urgency as the hospital staff readied Ryan for his second surgery of the night. Sandy held his wife and son within his arms as they watched the boy who had come to mean so much to them in a very short time was wheeled out of the room.

Anna rubbed her eyes and looked around trying to figure out where that ringing was coming from. Finally her eyes settled on the phone next to her bed and she realized that was the sound which had woken her up.

"Hello?" She spoke groggily into the receiver.

"Anna? It's Seth." The voice on the other end identified itself.

Anna sat up suddenly alert. "How's Ryan?"

Seth sighed heavily on the other end. "Last night he started running a high fever. The doctors found another bone fragment that they missed in the first surgery. He had to have another operation. While he was on the operating table…"

Anna heard him sniffle loudly. "Seth?"

"His heart stopped."

Anna felt sick as she heard the words. She couldn't believe this! Ryan broke his arm! People didn't die from a broken arm! Anna was so absorbed in her horror at what she had heard, she almost missed the rest of what Seth was saying.

"…so he's going to have to stay a little longer, but he should be able to go home by next week."

"Wait – what? Who's going home?" Anna stammered in confusion.

There was a pause on the other end. "Ryan is. Didn't you hear me?"

"You said his heart stopped." Anna accused.

"Yeah, then I said that they got him back and wanted him to stay a few extra days so they could make sure there weren't any more complications." Seth repeated slowly.

Anna let out a breath of relief. "I thought you were telling me Ryan was dead." She confessed tearfully.

Now it was Seth's turn to panic. "No! No, Ryan's going to be okay – at least they think he's going to be okay as long as the infection doesn't come back. I was just letting you know that he was going to be in the hospital longer than we originally thought."

"Can I come see him today?" Anna asked as her heart began to return to a normal rhythm.

"He's pretty wiped, and he's still running a low fever so he's not exactly Mr. Excitement right now." Seth warned.

"Seth I don't want to run a marathon with him, I just want to see him." Anna rolled her eyes at Seth's protectiveness. She would be more annoyed if she didn't find it so endearing.

"Sorry, yeah you can come. I'm sure that he would like to see you. When he wakes up that is." Seth replied sheepishly.

"I'll bring bagels." Anna promised as she glanced at the clock and realized it was still pretty early.

"You definitely know the way into a Cohen's heart." Anna could hear the grin in Seth's voice.

Anna chuckled and hung up after confirming her arrival time. Her smile disappeared as she ran a hand through her short blond locks and she sighed heavily. It seemed awfully fast for Anna to form such an attachment to someone that she had only known for a couple of weeks, but there was no denying how devastated she had felt when Seth informed her Ryan's heart had stopped. The thought of Ryan dying was more than she could bear.

Ryan opened his eyes slowly and painfully. His entire body ached and while he no longer felt as if someone had set fire to him, it still felt too warm. There was a soft beeping in the room that hadn't been there before. A hand holding his own soon claimed his attention. He turned his head and saw Kirsten staring at him with a expression of love and concern.

"How are you feeling?" The blonde woman asked softly as she brushed the back of her fingers along Ryan's cheek in a gentle caress.

"Sore and hot." Ryan answered honestly, his voice raspy and weak. "What happened?"

"There was a bone chip that the surgeon missed. It was causing an infection and they had to operate on you again." Kirsten explained.

The continuous beeping quickly regained Ryan's attention. He looked over to see a monitor that was beeping at a steady rhythm while a green line followed a peak and valley design. Ryan recognized the heart monitor. He turned confused eyes back to his foster mother.

Kirsten sighed. She was hesitant to answer the question she saw in those expressive blue orbs. "While you were in surgery, your heart stopped. They had to resuscitate you."

Ryan's eyes widened in fright and the beeping sped up. "I died?"

"Calm down Sweetie. You're fine now. The infection was just too much for you on top of the surgery and your heart couldn't take the strain. You're going to be just fine!" Kirsten assured her distraught son.

"Why am I hooked up to a heart machine if I'm fine?" Ryan wanted to know.

Kirsten smiled tenderly. "It's just a precaution. They honestly aren't expecting any more problems, but they know that if something was to happen and they hadn't done everything to prevent it and watched you closely then I would make sure they never worked in the state of California again." She declared with determination.

Ryan felt a rush of emotion at the thought of someone caring enough about him to be that upset if something happened to him. He had always assumed no one would really notice if he were to die young. Dawn was too busy crawling into a bottle and shooting up anything she could get her hands on while Trey was more often absent than not. Ryan's father, Frank, had been out of the picture for so long that he was no more than an afterthought most of the time. The only people who might show for his funeral would be Theresa and her family.

All of that had changed now. Ryan actually had someone that noticed if he was hurt or upset. He had a set of parents that cared if he ate right or got enough sleep. Ryan couldn't remember ever having anyone stay at the hospital with him during one of his many stays while growing up. He used to be lucky if Dawn even remembered to pick him up when he was released.

Ryan turned his eyes on the woman that had been by his side since he had woken up from the first surgery. He could see her concern at his silence and the last of his walls started to crumble.

"Ryan, Honey are you okay?" Kirsten asked when the teen remained so quiet.

"Thank you." Ryan whispered.

Now it was Kirsten's turn to look confused. "For what?"

"For caring." Ryan replied softly.

Kirsten smiled tenderly. "You're my son now. That means you are one of the most important people in my life and I will do whatever it takes to make sure you are safe. Face it, you're stuck with us."

"I can't think of anything I'd rather be." Ryan smiled tiredly.

The door opened to allow Sandy and Seth, who had gone for coffee, into the room. "Here we go; one large coffee for the Lady of the house." Sandy declared as he gallantly presented his wife with the tall paper cup with the local coffee house's logo on the side.

Kirsten took the coffee gratefully and sighed in contentment as she tasted her first sip. "I knew there was a reason I married you." She told Sandy, her eyes dancing with mischief.

A knock on the door interrupted what was sure to be another sickening PDA moment that would have earned a scathing comment from the scowling Seth. Anna stuck her head in the door and grinned when she saw the Cohen family standing around Ryan's bed nursing coffee.

"I come bearing gifts." The blonde teen announced as she revealed the bag of fresh bagels from the bakery.

"Anna, you are welcome to Casa Cohen any time – or in this case a hospital room substituting as Casa Cohen." Sandy welcomed.

Anna chuckled and came farther into the room. She passed the bag to an anxious Seth and made her way to Ryan's bed. His cheeks were flushed from what remained of the fever that had ravaged his body the night before. He was pale everywhere else and the glaze in his eyes was testament to the drugs that were keeping the pain at bay.

While it was obvious Ryan wasn't feeling his best, it gave Anna a warm glow to see the look of delight on his handsome face when he saw her. Ryan reached out with his good hand and Anna caught his fingers with her own.

"Hey." Ryan greeted her softly.

"Hey yourself, how are you feeling?" Anna asked.

"Not great, but at least I'm not feeling my arm much." Ryan answered.

Anna winced at the thought of how bad the pain would be if not for the drugs.

"I'm sorry that I missed our walk last night." Ryan apologized.

Anna smiled. "You'll just have to make it up to me later." She declared saucily.

"Deal." Ryan grinned.

**TBC…**


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Anna was chuckling as Sandy demonstrated the proper way to schmear a bagel when there was a knock on the door and Marissa came into the room. She stood awkwardly with a small plant in her arms when she saw the Cohens and Anna.

"Um, I just came by to see how Ryan was doing." Marissa mumbled uncomfortably.

Kirsten, ever the polite hostess, smiled and came forward. "Thank you Marissa that's very kind of you. Ryan is doing better now. Hopefully he'll get to come home next week."

Marissa smiled. "Oh! That's good. I – uh – I brought this for Ryan." She offered up the plant in her arms. "I didn't think that he'd really want flowers."

"How sweet!" Kirsten gushed as she accepted the plant and set it on a shelf across from Ryan's bed. She glanced at Sandy. "Why don't we let you guys visit?"

Sandy nodded and shot a look at Seth. "Don't let him get worn out."

Seth saluted his father and watched as his parents walked out of the room.

Meanwhile, Marissa approached the bed with her eyes flickering between Ryan and Anna, who was sitting beside him.

"How are you feeling?" The tall blond asked hesitantly.

"Not much of anything. They've got me on a lot of stuff." Ryan replied softly. He couldn't figure out why Marissa was even there. It wasn't like they were close or anything. He couldn't help but wonder if Luke knew his girlfriend was visiting the kid from Chino and what sort of trouble this was going to mean for him.

"Oh, well that's good." Marissa replied quickly.

"How are you doing?" Ryan asked.

Marissa's eyes filled with tears. "Oh Ryan it's so awful! Everyone is saying such horrible things about my dad!"

Anna felt her jaw drop. Surely Marissa wasn't trying to make this mess about her!

"There's even a chance that he could go to jail – like he's some sort of criminal or something! My father isn't a thief!" Marissa struck the perfect picture of fragile beauty.

Anna glanced around the room to see if anyone was actually buying this crap. Seth was glaring openly at the most popular girl in Newport. Ryan was the one Anna was the most concerned about. Marissa was a beautiful girl and Ryan, after all, was just a teenage boy. There was almost a resigned look in Ryan's eyes. Anna watched him flinch a couple of times and mentally replayed Marissa's words.

"Damn you're a selfish bitch." Anna muttered. Unfortunately the words carried and everyone in the room turned to stare at her in surprise. Anna sighed. She hadn't meant for them to hear her. Oh well, in for a penny… "You didn't really just come in here to see Ryan, who your father is partially responsible for injuring in the first place and actually try to get him to comfort you from his hospital bed?"

"Just because you're heartless doesn't mean that everyone else is." Marissa shot back.

Anna's eyes narrowed. "No, I'm not heartless. I just save my compassion for those who actually need it. What exactly are you expecting Ryan to do? He's a little busy recovering from a compound fracture and two surgeries right now so you'll have to excuse him if he's not up to attending the pity party you seem to be hosting. Maybe you should find Luke. You remember him don't you? He's your boyfriend who constantly tries to pick fights with Ryan because you keep flirting with him?"

"I haven't been flirting with Ryan. I've tried to be his friend." Marissa protested self-righteously. "Luke just needs to understand that."

"Yeah, I'm sure Luke sees it that way." Anna smirked.

"That's not my problem." Marissa declared.

"Actually it is." Anna corrected her. "Because if Luke picks one more fight with Ryan due to you flirting with – I'm sorry – _befriending_ Ryan then I'm going to kick _your_ ass."

"Are you threatening me?" Marissa demanded.

"Hell no! I'm from Pittsburgh remember – the land of '_ew'_? I can assure you I'm not afraid to throw a punch if I must. I wonder if Luke would still think you're so perfect after I mess up that pretty face?" Anna sneered.

"Wow." Seth whispered in awe at the petite blond.

Marissa stared in shock at the other girl before glancing around at the others. Realizing that they weren't going to reprimand the angry teen, she decided that retreat would be her best option. Sniffing indignantly, Marissa glared at Anna before turning her eyes to Ryan. "I hope you feel better soon." With that, the lead debutant stalked angrily out of the room.

Anna sighed heavily and looked around apologetically. "Sorry, but I couldn't stand her whining any longer."

"That was awesome." Seth breathed, still amazed that someone had told off Marissa Cooper. "Um, if you decide to go after her would you call me so I could watch?"

Anna shot him a grateful smile and then turned her attention to Ryan. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have gone after her if you wanted her here."

Ryan shook his head. His eyes were wide and the expression on his face was similar to Seth's. "No, you were right. Luke would have been pissed."

Just then the door opened to let Sandy and Kirsten back into the room.

"We saw Marissa going down the hall. She looked pretty upset. Is everything okay?" Kirsten asked.

"Yeah, Anna gave her a verbal smack down when she started crying about everyone being so mean to Mr. Cooper." Seth informed his parents.

"Jimmy's in a lot of trouble." Kirsten stated. "Marissa's got every right to be upset."

"Nothing he didn't earn." Sandy declared curtly, "And Ryan's got enough on his plate."

Kirsten looked over at her foster son. "He's right. Marissa's problems have nothing to do with you. You just concentrate on getting better."

Ryan smiled at his foster mother and allowed himself to relax into his pillow. He fell asleep in between blinks.

Anna tenderly pulled the blanket up to Ryan's chest while being careful not to disturb his arm. She stood up and put her purse over her shoulder.

"I'm going to leave and let Ryan get some rest." Anna declared. "Is it okay if I come by later?"

"I think that Ryan would like that." Kirsten replied. "Thank you for coming Anna, I know it meant a lot to Ryan."

"Ryan's a good guy." Anna stated with a shrug.

"This town hasn't been the most accepting. I'm glad he has you in his corner." Sandy said softly.

Anna smiled sweetly. "I'll see you later."

The Cohen family watched the blond girl walk out of the room. Kirsten settled herself on the couch with her coffee and watched Ryan sleep. Sandy sat next to her and draped his arm around her shoulders.

"How impossible is it going to be for me to talk you into going home and getting some rest?" Sandy asked.

"I'm not leaving him while he still has the infection." Kirsten declared, never taking her eyes off her sleeping son.

"That's what I figured." Sandy sighed. "Did you get a chance to talk to him?"

"Yes, he knows that I want to be his mother now." Kirsten nodded with a soft smile before leaning her head on her husband's shoulder.

Seth was oddly silent as he listened to his parents talk. It was a relief to know that his mom actually cared about his new brother. Seth glanced over at the sleeping teen. Now Ryan just needed to get better and come home.

TBC…


End file.
